Sweet Chariot is a pathbreaking analysis of slave families and household composition in the nineteenth-century South. Ann Malone presents a carefully drawn picture of the ways in which slaves were constituted into families and households within a community and shows how and why that organization changed through the years. Her book; based on massive research; is both a statistical study over time of 155 slave communities in twenty-six Louisiana parishes and a descriptive study of three plantations: Oakland; Petite Anse; and Tiger Island.Malone first provides a regional analysis of family; household; and community organization. Then; drawing on qualitative sources; she discusses patterns in slave family household organization; identifying the most significant ones as well as those that consistantly acted as indicators of change. Malone shows that slave community organization strongly reflected where each community was in its own developmental cycle; which in turn was influenced by myriad factors; ranging from impersonal economic conditions to the arbitrary decisions of individual owners. She also projects a statistical model that can be used for comparisons with other populations. The two persistent themes that Malone uncovers are the mutability and yet the constancy of Louisiana slave household organization. She shows that the slave family and its extensions; the slave household and community; were far more diverse and adaptable than previously believed. The real strength of the slave comunity was its multiplicity of forms; its tolerance for a variety of domestic units and its adaptability. She finds; for example; that the preferred family form consisted of two parents and children but that all types of families and households were accepted as functioning and contributing members of the slave community."Louisiana slaves had a well-defined and collective vision of the structure that would serve them best and an iron determination to attain it; " Malone observes. "But along with this constancy in vision and perseverance was flexibility. Slave domestic forms in Louisiana bent like willows in the wind to keep from shattering. The suppleness of their forms prevented domestic chaos and enabled most slave communities to recover from even serious crises."
#241329 in Books Eric L Muller 2012-08-13Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.39 x .81 x 10.47l; 1.89 #File Name: 0807835730136 pagesColors of Confinement Rare Kodachrome Photographs of Japanese American Incarceration in World War II
Review
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful. Superb photos; superb bookBy FredericI just received my copy from today; so I haven't had a chance to read all of the essays yet. From what I've seen thus far; though; I think the text is going to do justice to the images. And that's saying something. The book is high-quality coated paper throughout; with excellent printing and binding as one expects from the UNC Press. The images are beautifully presented; nearly full-page in size in most cases.This is a collection of vivid full-color Kodachrome images taken by a young Japanese-American man who was interned at the Heart Mountain; Wyoming; camp during World War II. He captured everyday life in the camp; and its environs; and these color images bring it to life amazingly. I've read many books and seen many images - photographic and drawn/painted - by internees; as well as accounts by anthropologists in some of the camps; but these are real eye-openers.As those who lived and experienced the events of the Second World War are leaving us; it is especially important to preserve and present to new audiences the documents of those experiences. This book is an outstanding contribution to that effort.8 of 8 people found the following review helpful. Captivating Images of the Japanese-American Internment ExperienceBy Steve VranaWhen I teach "A Separate Peace" to my sophomore English students; I make every effort to immerse them into the culture of World War II on the home front. We watch "Casabalanca;" Walt Disney's "Der Fuehrer's Face;" the Andrews Sisters singing "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy;" Abbott and Costello's classic "Who's on First" routine. I show clips of Ken Burn's "The War" that talk about rationing; war bond drives; and Pearl Harbor.Perhaps the most poignant scene is Daniel Inouye's first-hand account of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. This; of course; leads to a discussion of the Japanese-American internment camps.Detractors would say that this book sugar coats the experiences of more than 100;000 Japanese-Americans who were placed in these relocation centers for much of the war. Granted; the photos do little to show the hardship and isolation of life in the camps. Even living conditions--cramped quarters; communal latrines--are not the intent of this book.What it does show is the spirit and determination of the incarcerated to provide a sense of normalcy to their daily lives. With more than 70 photos--all but a handful in color and most of them full-page--Bill Manbo's images are a testament to the ability to retain humanity under inhumane conditions. Manbo and his family were sent to the camp at Heart Mountain in Wyoming in 1942 where these photos were taken.Sure; there are pictures of guard towers (p. 45); the starkness of the barracks and the landscape (p. 26); and a moving image of the photographer's son clutching a barbed-wire fence at the edge of the camp.However; most of the scenes are much more cheerful: dancers in traditional attire; parades; ice skating; residents wrestling in the sumo ring; family outings...and lots of family photos.In addition to the photos; there are three essays: "A Youngster's Life Behind Barbed Wire;" "Camera in Camp" and "Unexpected Views of the Internment." Each essay is about ten pages.If you think you know everything about the Japanese-American internment experience; this book will shine a light in corners you haven't seen before. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Incredible exceptionally rare color photos insight into the WWII Japanese-American internment camps! All I can say is WOW!By Gregory C. BrownIncredible and exceptionally rare color photos and insight into the WWII Japanese-American internment camps! All I can say is WOW!
